No weasel's an island
by ACEAMC
Summary: Flapjack alone makes it to candy island, only to realize it's not as good as everyone says it is. He does however meet an interesting new mentor and learn the world's ripe with other greater adventures . . . including the one that will get him home.
1. Chapter 1: Dangit Jack!

No weasel's an island.

Chapter one: Dangit, Jack!

Sunset, least productive time of the day, yeh know? The chores are done (Such as gathering the fish and the stray coconuts); the sea breeze is cool and forgiving and the sun casts just the right colorful haze over the salty water. _Man, I'd give anything to build a raft and sail away from here._ But I know the rules; besides, I've tried getting off this thing before. Can't believe we were actually searching for this stupid thing, but I guess rumors of candy-filled islands draw people in like magnets.

Any way, the sunset was my only chance to get away from the loneliness, the stress, and the lament of being here. Stretched-out in my candy wrapper hammock, strumming away my hand-carved ukulele, I never felt as calm or as hopeful than I did when I was here, in this moment. I once had it all: Family and friends, Mustela (My home-island) and a good position as first mate of a marine ship. I was a great fighter, brought home a lot of fangs from our enemies in Geph (A land of snake people whom we Weasel folk were always at war with.) but our idiot of a captain had to go and do the stupidest thing you could do: he said he invented the ocean.

I guess I should explain; my former captain (And cousin, I should note) was a clever Mustelian and great fighter; that I cannot deny. But he was a bit of a playboy, and one heck of a braggart! He took credit for almost everything in existence: The Gephian warthog (a wooden pig I designed and partly built to trick the Gephians into letting us inside to take over our island.), the idea to go to candy island to escape the various monsters chasing us (Second-mate Roslow's idea, but he was so stupid he never noticed that his idea was stolen) and right after the taking of Geph, I can't make this up people, he turned to the ocean and shouted "I'm big Jack Mannagen, and I invented the ocean!" well, let's just say Poseidon didn't like that joke at all. So for the next few years we were thrown from one island to the next on our side of the sea, being badgered by sirens (Only Jack was interested though . . .) living tidal waves and only God knows what else! Finally, my idiot cousin pissed Poseidon off again by kidnapping one of his daughters (God! **What** _an_ idiot!) And selling her to the Lapinites (Rabbit-people, we get a lot of anthros.) Needless to say, our ten-boat fleet was reduced to driftwood within moments of returning to the sea. There were no survivors . . . except for me. I alone drifted to candy island, that mystical hidden island people all over the sea dream of seeing. I alone have to live with my stupid cousin's mistakes. I alone get to see this sunset every night.

I guess it's not all bad. I get up when I like, I only have to feed myself, I can take as many naps as I want, no more wars to fight, and best of all: I don't haft to share it with anyone! Ah, but what's that floating out in the water? It kind of looks like a beach ball . . . no wait, there's two of them! The small evening waves push it onto the shore of my little island and I got a better look at it: It was alive; at least it was _once_ alive!

I dragged the pathetic little thing across the sand to where I usually sit around the nightly fire and looked at it. Offhand I could tell three things: 1. It was a human. I've heard about them from books and how they live all over the world but just beyond the animal archipelago. But of course I've never seen one, and neither has anyone else in my family (Jack bragged about seeing one once, but I think he was just bragging) 2. It was alive, this I was certain of. It was breathing and even muttering "Bubby" and "Captain K'nuckles" to itself time and again (Whatever that meant!) and 3. it got here the same way I did, and the same way I'll one day get off, like the first creature who came here did, "you got here by accident, my little human friend."


	2. Welcome to Accident Island, Kid

Chapter Two: Welcome to Accident Island, kid.

By the time my fire was burning bright the human was dry and his eyes started opening. "W-where am I?" He asked in a cracking voice that hurt my sensitive ears a little. "Don't worry lad, you're safe." I took a baked cod off the fire and handed to him as he started to sit up, "Go on, you've got to be starving." The boy took the fish and I stirred the fire once more. I heard half a crunch of crisp fish scales, and then started talking in a slightly irritating voice, "Wow friend!" Guess he's never seen a weasel man before, be cause he started poking this and that all over my body "Where'd ya get all this neat fur? And look at these ears, and this little nose of yours, and those tiny paws, and wow! A tail!"

"Would you kindly get the heck off?" I pulled my tail out of his hands and snarled a little. That only got him to how big my teeth are. "The better to snap mackerel up with!" I pulled my fish off its stick, tossed into the air with my mouth and swallowed it easily, "I'm a Mustelian, a weasel-man. And just for the record, I know you're a human; I've read about them. But who are you? And for that matter, what's wrong with your voice?"

"Call me Flapjack friend! My voice is acting all weird because I'm going through puberty, Bubby said so!"

"Puberty? Bubby? FLAPJACK?" where'd this weird kid come from, anyway? I sat there while he ate his cod. I was annoyed and I was tired. Then he started babbling about weird, unsettling things that only happen to humans. "Ok, forget I asked. What about this 'Bubby' person?"

"Oh, she raised me. She's a whale . . . literally." I was then subjected to the most annoying laugh a Mustelian could ever hope to hear. "Can she talk?"

"Yeah! Wait, how'd you know?"

"She's a Cetacean, a whale-woman. There are pods full of her kind where I come from."

"Where you come from?"

"Yup, the animal archipelago."

"Animal archipelago?" he looked dumbfounded as I pulled out a map of the world- my world at least. "See, all these islands are controlled by, or at least contain, various animal-people. Whales and other sea creatures can talk and such, but only lay claim to the sea."

"What're all these red islands?"

"Mustelian islands; we're some of the best conquerors on the sea!"

"Can I go there some day?" I sighed,

"Kid, I don't even know if I can go back."

"Why?"

"Look around you kid," I waved a paw to the island, "This is accident island, theirs only one way on and off: by accident."

"WHAT!" he got up and panicked "Did anyone else wash up with me? A guy with a blue face and a big nose, or a whale."

"Nope. Only you."

"Oh, cannonballs! They don't even know I'm here! Now how will I get to candied island?" I laughed despite his fear, "You're looking for candied island?"

"Yeah!"

"This island has another nickname, one it's famous for:

Candied island." For a moment he sat in shock before shouting and running into the jungle, but I let him go, since nothing else lives here. After a few minutes I heard a loud "Bleck" and he came back. "That candy tasted awful."

"You're tellin' me. Licorice scrub grass, mint-gum trees, boulders made of that caramel-peanut butter junk; the only candy worth eating on this island are these round pebble-ones, and even then they'll cut your mouth open if you eat too many of them." Flapjack looked disappointed, "At least I'm not alone. What's your name, friend?" I let out a slow breath, "It's Kipp. Kipp Redbend."

The kid slept in my bed while I took up my hammock. I guess I'm sharing this island with him. Great. Hope he's good at catching fish, 'cause he's gonna be doing it for a long time. Eh, he'll learn how it's done. In the mean time, I'll teach him how we Mustelians live and work, that Bubbie whale'll be proud!

"Alright snapper, come to Kippy!" I readied my wooden spear over my fish and flawlessly stabbed it, a clean death. "What is going on here?" Flapjack waded out to where I was stabbing fish. "Getting our food, go get a spear and help me." He returned with a black spear and started stabbing to no avail. "Why can't I catch these fish?"

"Let me take a look at that spear." I sniffed it carefully and then took a bite out of it, only to spit it into the water. "Well, no wonder! This is licorice, when the fish smell this they turn tail and swim for their lives!"

"Cannonballs!" I smiled, despite the burning sun on our backs, "The Mustelians have a saying: The sword wins the war. Try this one." Even with my spear he could not complete the task. "The trick is to wait till the fish turns it's back, then stab!"

"STAB! I was trying to knock it out of the water, I don't want to hurt it." Are all humans this weak? "Trust me, the fish don't feel a thing if you do it right!" Flapjack closed his eyes and randomly tossed the spear into the water, hitting two fish at once. "Not bad. A lot better than I did on the first few days. I actually resorted to eating licorice!"

"Wha- I caught one!"

"Two, just look." He opened his eyes to two dead fish on the spear, "Hey, they don't look alive anymore!"

"Now that's Mustelian mentality! Let's haul 'em in!"

"Ok Captain." Captain? Did this kid know I worked in the marines? How's that even possible?

A few hours later, as the sun was setting, I asked him what he meant. "Oh, well . . . I guess you remind me a bit of captain K'nuckles!"

"Captain K'nuckles? He's your mentor, right?"

"I guess. He's the one who sent me to come here."

"Wait, he did what?"

"Well, a few weeks ago Captain K'nuckles got banned from the candy barrel and we finally went searching for Candied Island. Eventually he told us to split up on to two separate rafts to cover more sea, isn't he a genius?" Wow. Just wow. Anyone who knows anything about sailing knows that splitting up is the exact opposite of what you want to do while searching for something. Even jack wouldn't do something that dumb, and he's the one who chose a course of disaster home! Either K'nuckles is an idiot or he's a jerk "Uh-huh." That's all I managed to say for a while. It's funny, after all this time away from people; I forgot how awkward silences are. "Tell me about your adventures, Kipp. Captain K'nuckles always would." Well, idiot jerk or not, Flapjack cared about him, "Ok, but no interruptions, I need silence to tell It." I started the fire and went back in my mind to a time before Accident Island, before the Gephian war, before my mother died.


	3. An apple tree in the royal court

An apple tree in the royal court.

"When I was a little kit, I lived with my parents, my cousin, and my uncle, Duke Salazar. My parents, respectively, were the King and Queen of Mustelia"

"Wow, Really?"

"Yes, now no more interruptions. I was their only son, and thusly well protected and raised. My uncle, being a well-trained duke raised me and my cousin Jack side-by-side. He taught us how to speak all the languages of the animals, play music and sing, recite poetry and fight. He drilled the fighting into us the hardest, and between the two of us, I was the weaker."

"**Hurry boy, leave no openings!"** he would encourage to either of us during fights, but mostly to me because I was slower. During our fencing practice that day, Jack ducked behind me and smacked me with his (Fake) sword.

"Too late, slowpoke!" He smiled, while his father said nothing.

"No fair! You're older than me, that's why you always win!"

"No, it's because I'm better! And they call you prince!" after that we wrestled in the courtyard, until Salazar broke us apart. **"Listen you two: according to the way we lead our lives, we are fighters from the day we are born, but that's no excuse to fight over sword practice! Now go clean yourselves up!"** after changing from fencing clothes into the royal attire, Jack met me in the courtyard. "So today you're meeting your future fiancée?" as a future king, an arranged marriage was unavoidable. Mine was to be with the princess of the Rangi (Reindeer) people of the north, Princess Tara. _"Yes."_ I was nervous, but at least my parents would let me meet her first,_ "Do you think she'll like me?"_

"Like I know. Hey, I know a way you could win her over!"

"_But I don't know if I'll like her yet!"_

"You don't really have a choice. Anyway, the Rangi are graceful and acrobatic, right?"

"Or so I've heard."

"See that apple tree?"you see, for many years, a large apple tree has grown beneath the palace floors, branching out to almost the height of the palace itself. Every year we get hundreds of apples, but the top ones are always missed; only the bird-races can eat them. This was about the time of year when the last few apples taunted Mustelians. "Rangi love apples, so if you can gracefully climb to the top of that tree, pick her an apple, and scurry back down she'll be yours!"

"_I guess that makes sense. Hey, I think that's her ship!"_ the castle Mustelia is just close enough to over see the sea, whether it brings trade, conquest of other lands, or even a future bride. The palace sits on the highest point in the village. From there you can see all the boats coming in and out, like the large flagship that had come into bay that faithful day."

I stirred the fire and carried on "That ship, God, it was awe-inspiring. A giant Viking ship, covered on all sides by the antlers of Ancient Rangi kings. All the people currently on the island crowded around the massive ship, but no one dared get any closer than the royal family and guard. I of course was the closest, being the future husband, with the guards forming a ring around all of us. First off the boat we're attendants to the Rangi royals, trumpeters, guards and such. Each guard toted the Rangi's prized export: a gun. This new weapon could bring even violent animals to their knees within moments, which was why a mutual agreement between the king of Rangin and the king of Mustelia was so important. Then came king Dalton, His antlers painted gold to act as a crown. He was a tall, slightly old buck with a stunning appearance. He greeted my father (Who I take after in all but his great muscles) with a respectful tip back of the antlers. Next came Queen Navet, a sleek doe with slightly shorter antlers. She drew one hoof back as a sign of respect. Then she called back to the ship in Rangian, "Come child, there is no danger." There was a rustling from behind some barrels on deck, and then I saw a short pair of antlers peek over them. And then I saw Princess Tara.

Whatever I was expecting from a Princess, I saw that and more. She had snow-white fur with a few light brown splotches near her back, with dark-blue eyes. She walked with the same grace and elegance of her mother, all the while looking left and right at all the different things she'd never seen in the desolate artic world she grew up in. and then she looked down at us; my parents, my uncle and cousin (Who was puffing out his chest and showing off his muscles, at least that's what I remember.) and then at me.

We kept eye contact for a long while, at least until she stepped onto the first cobblestones of the street. I guess I was nervously smiling, because she smiled back. But it wasn't a nervous one; it turned out to be one of relief. She followed her parent's example of antler tilts and hoof courtesies. "Greetings prince."

"Good morning princess" guess I was never really formal. I really do wonder why I was forced to lead the life of a price some times.

"Now while we discuss relations between our nations I'm sure you can trust our prince as a guide for your daughter around the palace." My father and King Dalton immediately began speaking once we were beyond the palace walls. "Certainly. I don't think we could have found a more charming price for her." I practically glowed as the foreign royals and my father entered the castle and made their way to a formal meeting-place. "Here that cuz?" Jack ribbed me, "You're price charming!" Tara giggled a little, just enough for me to realize how cute it was. "This place is really nice," she told us along the way, "I don't think I'll mind living here." It really is a nice place, Flapjack. There's a royal dining hall that goes on forever, a whole room dedicated to paintings of past kings, whole wings for the royal guard-"

"What about the story?"

"Right, right. Finally, we entered the back courtyard, where the apple tree grows. All three of us craned our necks to see the top of it, where a few red dots gleamed. "That's the tallest tree I've ever seen." She whispered under her breath. "Now's your chance." Jack pointed to the top. I gulped, then without looking down began to climb it. "Prince Kipp, be careful!" Princess Tara called as I got higher up. _"Don't worry; I've done this a million times!"_

"You lied?"

"I was ten, remember! Besides, I got what I deserved on the way down. When I got to the top, even the bird folk were impressed. I could almost see over the castle from there! I picked the biggest apple from the very top, a ripe red one, certainly worth the climb." I paused for a second, which was a second too long for Flapjack, "Then what happened?"

"I slipped off the top branch and fell through all the others."

"Really?"

"Yes; it was painful. I landed right on my stomach, in front of Jack and Tara no less. "Kipp! Are you alright?" she flipped me onto my back, shaking some of the dizziness off me. _"Yeah . . ."_ that's when I remembered the apple, the only thing undamaged, _"apple?"_ she took it and helped me to my feet, "Man cuz, that was a lucky landing!"

"_It sure didn't feel lucky!"_

"Well it was, trust me." That's when Tara kissed me, on the cheek, that is." Flapjack gave out another annoying laugh, that was going to take some getting used to.

"on that day I received a broken collarbone, several cracked ribs, a torn ear, snapped tailbone, a twisted ankle, several cuts and bruises, a broken nose, a black eye, and the animal equivalent of a girlfriend."

"What happened after that?"

"Well Tara and I visited each other constantly till I turned fifteen. When that day came a group of Gephian pirates attacked our castle, killed my mother and uncle, and seriously injured my father, this sparked a seven-year war between the Mustelians and the Gephians. In our culture, if another animal kills one of your parents, you kill it in war, so thusly I and my Cousin were drafted. I haven't seen Tara since the war began, and you're the first sentient life form I've met in the six years I've been here."

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course I do! You must miss Bubby and that K'nuckles person, right?"

"Yeah, so why don't we leave?"

"We can't, Flapjack. We can only leave by accident, remember. If we intentionally try to escape, we will fail."

"So when's the accident gonna happen?"

"Maybe never. When I first got here, I found a few skeletons on the beach. They waited, maybe for a century or so, for an accident to free them, but death freed them instead. That could be us." Flapjack looked so depressed and scared, I felt horrible. "Anyway, it's getting late; we'll need sleep for tomorrow."

"Alright." Flapjack stepped into the hut, almost sullenly, "Goodnight, price."

"Goodnight, human friend." I got into my hammock and stared into the stars. Sometimes, when I'm really lonely, I'll look into the stars and pick out the shapes of my family and Tara, but tonight I couldn't bear it. I turned over in my hammock, towards the sea, and smelled the air. _Is that . . . rain?_ Just faintly I could smell some rain, maybe a week or so away. _Well, it might as well,_ I yawned, closing my eyes slowly, _desert islands stink._


	4. Catch the Wave

Catch the wave

About a week later, the storms began. At first it was just light rain, almost refreshing. But then wind and lightning started, and waves got bigger and bigger. "Kipp, why is the weather so bad?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you. But we can only foresee the weather, not explain it."

"Could an accident happen in this?"

"Probably . . . probably . . ." I sighed, getting food during this storm was difficult, and lately I've been sleeping in the hut with Flapjack. An accident right now would be great. That's when we heard the swishing noise, loud enough that we could hear it through the walls. We got out of the hut to get a better look, getting our clothes and my fur wet in the rain. "Man, this has to be the worst weather I've seen in years!"

"Hey, what's that?" Flapjack pointed to the sea, where a dark blue wall was forming on the horizon. "It looks like a . . . tsunami-oh lord . . ." Before I could run it had arrived, and as Flapjack joyfully shouted "ADVENTURE!" it engulfed us, twisting the world into darkness.

"Kipp, wake up, please!" Called a voice, it almost sounded like Tara's. But as my eyes began to open, Flapjack came into focus. "Flapjack . . . did you know . . ."

"Did I know what?"

"That your voice . . ." I sat up on the log we were floating on, "Sounds just like Tara's, as a child?"

"No- Uh, no!" he tried to deepen his voice a little, without success. When I sat up, I noticed two things: everything I ever built on Candied island was ruined, and candied island itself was nowhere in sight. "Wow, look at this mess. That storm was a killer." That's when my mind began working: _**no candied island.**_

"W-We're free!" I shouted happily, standing proudly on the log before falling into the water. Flapjack began laughing, but it seemed less annoying now. I guess I was getting used to it. "Anyways, let's try building a raft; we'll need one to get around."

"Aye-aye, captain." We pulled together logs to make the base, and tied them together with old fishnets. I carved out a place for a small mast in the center and used my hammock as a sail. It worked well. As a final touch I tied my old and ripped war sash to the top of the makeshift mast, red like the Mustelian flag.

"Now what?" Flapjack asked as I pulled out my map. "First we need to find a point of reference, an island we can point out on a map, and then hopefully, we can go here." I pointed to Mustelia, and Flapjack processed this all in his mind. "Where do you think Bubby and K'nuckles are?"

"They could be anywhere, considering they're a moving object. But don't worry; someone out there must know where they are. We'll help each other find our homes, whatever it takes.

Turns out it took weeks of sailing blindly around an island less sea, hunting gulls and stray fish, avoiding more sea monsters, and succumbing to heat exposure. "Are we gonna die, Kipp?" Flapjack asked as we floated through an odd, thick fog one morning.

"I wish I could say no, but now all bets are off."

"You know what I've been thinking for the past few days?"

"Shoot."

"You look like a giant corndog if you sit still long enough."

"Funny, for awhile I've been thinking about how much you look like a steak in the right light." We stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments before launching at each other.

"C'mon Kipp, I'm starving!" Flap shouted as we wrestled on the raft, almost falling off a few times.

"YOU'RE starving?!? I'm a grown Mustelian, and I haven't eaten anything bigger than my paws in weeks!"

"But I'm a growing boy! I need my energy!"

"You won't need it when I'm using it!"

"That's the thing about you Mustelians: You're killers at the core!"

"Oh really? What are you doing then, trying to give me a hug? You're trying to eat me too, you bald sea-monkey!"

"You're the animal here, not me!"

"Animal, am I? I'm royalty, Flapjack; you're not even middle class, you furless cultureless barbarian!"

"Heartless killer!"

"Furless urchin!"

"Spineless coward!"

"Putrid gnat!"

"I hope Tara married a cow instead of you!"

"I hope Bubby replaced you with a sack of potatoes!"

"Jerk!"

"Flea!"

"Is everything all right out there?" a voice called in the fog. We stopped fighting as soon as we started. "No, we're starving and half-mad. Who's out there?"

"My name is Momiji, follow the sound of my voice, we have food here!" as we sailed towards the voice, I noticed a figure standing on an island before us. "Wow, a goat-man!" Flapjack gasped, regaining his childish wonder of the world. The Caprinite (Goat-monk.) had white fur and small yellow horn, And wore an orange silk robe as the custom states he should. "A- a Mustelian? And a human?!?"

"Questions later- food now!" we both said at the same time.

"Sorry I tried to eat you, Kipp." Flapjack said between bites of roasted onion.

"I'm sorry I tried to eat you Flapjack. Starvation makes people a little crazy." I responded, sucking up cooked noodles as fast as I could between words

"No kidding, sorry I called you a savage killer and an animal."

"Sorry I called you a furless urchin and a barbarian."

"I didn't mean what I said about Tara marrying a cow."

"Bubby couldn't replace you with anything, defiantly not a sack of potatoes."

"Sorry to interrupt, but . . . who are you two?" Momiji asked, looking at how we ate. "Oh, sorry. We're castaways from Accident Island; this is Flapjack, and my name is Kipp."

"You mean prince Kipp?!?" Momiji asked, staring at me in disbelief.

"The one and only!" Flapjack answered for me. Momiji looked concerned, and then spoke again, "You've been gone so long that everyone in the archipelago thought you were dead. . ."

I bowed my head to think a little, "I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face when they see me alive." I whispered as Momiji continued. "Times have changed, lost prince. It seems everyone in the sea hates the Mustelian Empire now, animals would gladly try to kill you simply for your race."

"Why?" We both asked.

"It seems the new king is such a tyrant these days, taxing his subjects into ruin, taking control of business and commerce and running it aground, imprisoning and executing anyone who opposes his rule, it got so bad that we conjured up this fog to hide our poor island and people. But you know, our famous prophet can tell you all about it."

"Famous prophet- I KNOW WHERE WE ARE!" I pulled out my map and pointed out a spot on the lower right edge of the map, a small red splotch, "this is Vulpenia!"

"Vulpenia?" Flapjack asked, looking at the map. "Long ago this island was full of fox-people, whom I'm sad to say were nearly killed off by Mustelian armies over a thousand years ago, now the only one left is-"

"Mama Aloma." Momiji continued, "We Caprinites are her disciples. She can see the future and create fogs like this one. I never really brag about it, but I can also see the future like she can, but it's not as clear as she does. If you want, I can take you to her."

"Sounds like a good deal, how about it, Flap?"

"Adventure!" He responded, hopping to his feet and rushing outside. We took it as a yes.

"Mama Aloma has been training me in the art of divination for awhile now, and in fact I had a vision last night in my sleep about the arrival of you two."

"Really? How interesting." I humored, watching the Caprinites that stopped their daily chores and activities to watch our procession to the prophet's house. Suddenly Momiji stopped dead in his tracks. "Something wrong?" I asked, stopping as well while Flapjack chased a butterfly. "It just occurred to me, my vision had another part to it. You got into a fight in my vision."

"Oh don't worry about that, me and Flapjack resolved that, right flapjack?"

"Right Kipp!" He responded, still chasing the butterfly.

"No, that's not what I mean. A long-time resident – but not really a Caprinite like us – will engage you in a duel very soon, right here! His name is-"

"Crrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Shouted something big and grey as it bowled me over in shock.

"Tonks, he's not your enemy!" Momiji shouted as a Brockonite (Badger-warrior) Drew his axe and growled at me.


	5. Premonitions

Premonitions.

"Hold still, Mustelian rat, so that I may kill you!" he shouted, raising his axe. I rolled out of the way just in time, and drew my dagger. "I don't know what's eating you, but I-"

"You don't know!" he laughed, pulling his axe from the ground and stalked towards me, "You honestly don't remember my exile from home five years ago? You must be an exile yourself. Regardless, your death will calm me." Flapjack saw what was happening and stepped between us, "Wait, you two don't need to fight!"

"Flapjack, **do **not get involved!" I told him, pushing him aside with my foot where Momiji caught him, "He's right Flapjack, so long as they don't do damage to each other we should stay out of it until Mama Aloma comes."

"By the time she comes I'll be finished with you!" Tonks shouted, charging at me with his axe. I rolled behind him and held my knife against his throat, "Now who's finished with whom?"

"Both of you are finished with each other!" Shouted an old woman as we were hoisted up by the scruffs of our necks by her. She truly was old, with fading red fur and twinkling eyes. "No need to fight, children! I know exactly why you're here, formerly dead price Kipp. You too, Flapjack!"

"You know our names?" we asked in unison.

"Of course I do, I'm a seer, remember? I saw you two fighting and came right down; now come on, we've got a vision to see!" We followed her up the path a bit before she turned back and said, "Tonks and Momiji, I have something to reveal to you to!"

"Coming Mama Aloma!" they both said, but while Momiji said it joyfully, Tonks sounded disappointed and frustrated.

"Come on in, don't be shy, the dirt is harmless!" she chimed as we entered her hut at the top of the hill. Old bones and feathers lied strewn about and the place was a mess, but it had a mysterious charm to it. "Now I might as well start off with the prince here, shall I?" she threw several bones and feathers into a dusty bowl in the center of the table we were sitting at, then set everything in the bowl on fire. This is what Mama Aloma studied for a moment. "Aha! Scorched chicken bone . . . it's crunchy!" she reported, poking the charred bone intently. "Oooook?" now she lost me. "The chicken bone represents a strong, old friendship; the oldest one you have! But now it is black and brittle, it means your friendship has grown weak and is breaking apart . . . and look, the bluebird's feather I tossed into it has turned completely to ash, nothing left! The bluebird's feather means romantic love, an old sweetheart or something. But the ashes are under the crisp chicken bone."

"Soooo, my old best friend is on top of my old love interest?"

"I think its saying: Your buddy stole your girl while you were gone. You deserved it, too!" Tonks commentated while Aloma pointed at another pile of ash under the stupid chicken bone, "this is the peacock feather, represents your social standing, it too now belongs under the chicken bone, it is also charred and ruined."

"So basically my whole life is a mess."

"Not all of it, look at this," she pulled a wooden ring out of the fire, it didn't have so much as a single burn mark on it, "This represents your current circle of friends, the ones you trust the most now. They will stay strong during the turmoil of your life." She also picked up a tiny robin's egg, "This represents the one you are proud to call son, your apprentice if you will. This has stayed true through the horrors of your life."

"Well, I guess those things are ok, but can I do anything about the other things."

"Yes, put your hands over the bowl and concentrate." I did as she said and closed one of my eyes while focusing, the other couldn't believe what it saw. A strong wind blew over the bowl; I heard a small crack and in my hands lay the ashes of the bluebird's feather, which turned amazingly back into an un-burnt feather. "How did I do that?" I asked, staring at the bowl, where I saw the chicken bone had snapped in two and the peacock feathers ashes were blown away. "You let your heart flow down to the feather, and it responded while you healed its wounds. Your heart also flowed down to the chicken bone, but it rejected it and tried to keep a grip on its two feathers, which broke it in two. The peacock feather tried to flow to you too, but your heart refused it and its ashes simply blew away. In short this is your future; all that may be salvaged is your bluebird."

"What does my fortune say Mama Aloma?" Flapjack asked, hopping around. "Relax child, your fortune comes next." Aloma dumped the ashes of my fortune out of the bowl, "You can keep the Bluebird feather child, a little souvenir if you want." I carefully pocketed the small feather as Aloma put more seemingly random things into the bowl and set them on fire. When the magical fire stopped, she picked up a cracked and browned Chicken's eggshell, "This represents your mother figure. She is falling apart at the thought of losing you, and yet she is trying to bring you back."

"Bubbie!" Flapjack's eyes were wide as he stared at the remnants of the fire. "Odd . . . it seems the dead wasp, and old pain or problem has molded to the Bluebird's feather, and both have turned into gold!"

"Gold?" Flapjack picked up the piece of gold and picked at it, revealing chocolate underneath it. "Candy!" He ate it without hesitation. "Ok, I am officially disgusted by your magic now." I commented while Aloma interpreted, "I think this means your oldest problem and an old love will bind to become a wonderful thing."

"But I've never been in love before."

"Says you." Aloma dumped the ashes out and putting more things into the pan, "You're next Tonks." Tonks raised his paw in protest, "Madam, you've already read my fortune five years ago. You said I would fight a Mustelian and gain my country's freedom."

"Ah, that's true, but I didn't tell you how that would come about." She set the contents on fire. "See? You already know that your country went under Mustelian rule ages ago."

"Right." He growled, grabbing my throat in a strangle hold.

"And that the new king of Mustelia banished you from your home and made you lead the life of an outlaw."

"Lady Aloma, might I suggest you stop, before I die?"

"But I didn't tell you about the rest of the journey in between. You will travel the vast ocean, that's what this mark on this piece of driftwood says. Your allies will merge with your enemies and become an unbreakable force, as shown by this iron mixture of a ham bone and a wooden ring, and your home shall flourish . . . without you."

"Without me? So I will die for my country?" Tonks looked down at the floor, while Aloma cleaned the pan again, "Last but not least, my faithful disciple Momiji." She looked deeply into his eyes, not adding anything to the pan.

"Why doesn't she burn Momiji's pile of random things?"

"She doesn't need to; we can read each other futures and communicate them by eye contact. I understand, ma'am."

"Good, now get going!" Thus the four of us were shooed from Aloma's house.

"If you guys don't mind, I need to collect supplies for our journey, so I think we should stay here a few days before sailing again."

"You're coming with us?" Flapjack and I simultaneously asked.

"Tonks is coming with us too."

"What? I didn't agree to that!"

"It was part of your destiny, Aloma told me so herself." Momiji beckoned towards his house, "I have some silk and other fabrics in my house, so you can make new clothes and get out of those shredded ones."

"But I don't know how to sew." Flapjack shrugged, so did I.

"Fine, I'll help you. But you better be fast learners."

Momiji was surprisingly good with a needle and fabric, guess you should be if you live alone. Within an hour I was wearing an off-yellow silk vest, gauze shorts, and a new red sash. Flapjack was wearing something a lot like his old clothes, only now white gauze replaced his old, worn blue pants. Not to mention they were a bit larger. "They're a little . . . large, don't you think?" Momiji, finishing one final touch, shook his head without looking away from his work, "Flapjack will grow precisely one inch and fourteen millimeters three days from now, and about three centimeters more before the month's end.

"Yay! I'm getting taller!"

"Wow, you mind readers see everything. Guess nothing's beyond our spectrum of knowledge now."

"Not exactly. My powers are fairly sporadic, and only occasionally useful. Anyways, until you get bigger, you can use this." Momiji gave flapjack a finished red sash, one that looked much like mine. "Wow, we match!"

"I just thought that, since all of us seem to wear fiery hues, that this would work well." Just then another Caprinite, this one a bit taller than Momiji, entered his hut, "Momiji, the head priest has heard the news from Mama Aloma, and he wishes to meet with you and the other members of your journey over dinner. He expects you at his hut within thirty minutes." With that the other Caprinite left, never once looking at us. "So who's this head priest?" I asked, noticing that I was hungry again. "The head priest, his name is Luros, is an aura seer and was the first Caprinite to serve under Mama Aloma. And he's . . . also my Grandpa."

"Sounds good." I said, standing up, "I'll go get doctor murder pants."

"Maybe we should come with you, after all, Tonks holds a large grudge against Mustelians."

"True and I don't want to die alone."

We didn't have to go far to find Tonks, he was within throwing axe throwing range. How do I know? The first one I saw nearly cleaved my skull in half. "Oh, Mustelian! I missed you . . ." he raised another axe, "My aim is improving, though." I dove away from the next axe and hid behind a barrel for the third. "Seriously, what's your problem?" I asked before he grabbed me by my collar and hoisted me up, "Listen Mustelian! I will not question the wisdom of Aloma, so I will travel with you, but I promise you we will never be friends. The minute the chance arises, my axe will find you. I will never forget what your people did to us and our royal family."

"I've already told you, I have no idea what we did!"

"Who cares if you know or not? In our world it's an eye for an eye, you know that and so do I!" but he loosened my grip and started putting me down, "But, I shall resist from killing you now. Where would the fun be in running my axe through your head and getting it over with? I want you to **feel** the pain and horror the royal family was in when your king usurped the throne, and that's what this journey's all about to me. You will not eat, sleep, work or rest in peace a moment after we leave this island. I will poison your food; tamper your designs till you're put in danger by them, attack you when you rest and invade even your dreams. Eventually I will drive you mad from fear and suffering, and when I lop off your head they'll see it as a killing of mercy. I'll have my revenge, your suffering will end, and no one will know the difference."

"Hey guys!" Momiji called. He and Flapjack were behind an outcrop of rock and didn't see or hear anything that just happened, "I just had a vision! Luros is serving my favorite tonight: stewed cabbage and crabgrass!" He licked his lips and trotted up the path while the three of us followed. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach, both from the recent death threats and the thought of eating grass. Sure we're omnivores, but grass? Not the best I can think of.

Luros's house was about as small as Momiji's but much brighter. Most of it was taken up by a large round table which the four of us sat at. Thankfully, I was sitting between Flapjack and our generous yet geriatric host, far away from the nutcase with the axes. Luros truly was a sight; his fur grew so white and so thick that it covered his eyes and sprung from his robe where-ever it could. But his horns were magnificent; they curled tightly from both sides of his head at least a foot outward. He didn't say anything for the first half of the meal, so we spent half of our time either eating (Mostly the cabbage, the rest of us gave the grass to Momiji.) and watching the crowds of Caprinites who had gathered outside the house to see the meal themselves. Finally, after almost running out of cabbage to eat, Luros spoke, "I have been watching your auras while you ate, and I can see the determination resonating from you all to see this mission through. But it resonates quite powerfully from you, Kipp."

"Oh, well . . . thanks sir." I turned away from him to eat one last bite of cabbage. But I could hear the calm joy in his voice as he spoke. "I can tell that this journey will be a success, and thusly I trust you to protect my grandchild as well as my grandchild will protect you." He turned to Momiji, who finished his meal a long while ago and was now helping himself to the tin cans that sat in a basket on the table, "My child, you have learned well from both myself and our fair Aloma; now I feel it is time for the Message to be spread." All our eyes turned on the young Caprinite, who gulped down his tin can and stared back at us wide-eyed. "What's the Message?" Flapjack asked, turning to the old priest. "Well, since he'll soon be doing it himself, I shall let my child do the honors of telling you. Go ahead, my son." The Caprinite smiled at his Grandfather, then cleared his throat and looked at us seriously.

"When I was a kid, I had a powerful yet frightening dream. I was looking down from the sky, at an old worn palace courtyard. Two sides confronted each other on this yard, one well equipped and lead by a creature with dark hateful eyes, the other poor, rebellious, and lead by a younger entity. Then another two entities stepped forward, one from each side and the four began fighting, while lighter skirmishes started on the edges of the battlefield. At first it seemed even, but the dark-eyed creature had unspeakable power, and it soon seemed that the two opposing leaders would be killed by his magic. Then suddenly some other creature came from the rebel's side and stepped before the power, and all went black." We were all listening closely, and Flapjack was smiling at the story, "The dream faded back in on the winner of the fight, but I could not see his face. However, I could hear a voice, and it chanted to me, quietly at first but then with feeling: _The new king is here!_" he sighed, seeming to come out of a trance, "To this day I know not what the dream means, but both Aloma and Luros believed and still believe the dream is tied into my destiny. And that is how and why I became the seer I am today." Luros took over from here, "It is obvious that the dream was a sign, and that it ties into your future. For now Momiji will travel with you, and convey his message to anyone who will listen. And now it is time for that journey to begin. You four will leave tomorrow morning, for the longer you stay here the more attention you may bring. I am truly sorry we can't be of any further service." I gaped back at the head priest, "but our raft's in no condition to make the journey with four people and their supplies! Cant' we just stay a few more days to make repairs?" The old ram smiled at me, "Could you perhaps pull out your map for me?" When I did he smoothed it out with his hoof and pointed to an island about five sectors to the west of Vulpenia, "You remember the small port town of Rumsong, don't you?"

"Of course I do, we stopped their on the way to and from the war!"

"There will be plenty of ships to choose from there, you should be able to make it if you avoid any huge squalls or setbacks."

"Gee, that's comforting!" Tonks added, glaring at me. "You four should go home and rest now, you have a long journey before you."

"Understood, sir." We responded, following Momiji back to his house.

The next morning we were up and leaving before sun up, at least I can assume, since the fog was still dense. Everyone on Vulpenia showed up to wish us well on the way. Aloma stood next to our raft before our journey for our final goodbyes. "Flapjack, the ones you call Bubby and Captain K'nuckles sail this sea yet in search of you. I give you this," She said, handing him a cork that was stained red on one end, "so that you may find them all the sooner."

"What good'll this cork do?" he asked, staring closely at the normal-looking cork. Aloma laughed, "That child is a spirit compass. It points one in the direction of what they really need findin'. All you need's a few inches of water and maybe a bowl to keep it from floating away in open water, and you and Bubby'll be reunited in no time."

"Wow, thanks mama Aloma!"

"As for you, prince Kipp:" Aloma handed me a small vial of blue liquid on what looked to be a necklace, "This salve can cure even the most severe of injuries, so use it only when truly necessary."

"I will. Thank you, Ma'am."

"And Tonks," Aloma gestured behind her to two Caprinites carrying a large and heavy-looking axe, "This is the axe you had tied to your back when you yourself arrived on this island."

"Yes, I promised I would run it through the skull of the king of Mustelia and any filthy Mustelians who got in my way." I gulped and grabbed the vial of blue liquid I had been given along with my skull.

Aloma gave a nod to the Caprinites, and with great effort they took a few steps away from the shoreline before heaving the ornate axe, covered with Amethyst charms and gold plating, into the ocean far enough that there would be no hope of finding it again until low tide, by which time we'd be gone. Tonks' jaw almost buried itself in the sand, and I practically fainted from relief. She then handed him a pair of hatchets, "You will need these at some point, but that axe would have been the death of all four of you if you had brought it along. These axes are almost as strong and sharp as that one and almost as light as a feather."

"Thanks Madam Aloma . . ." Tonks replied, trudging onto our raft. I heard him mutter as he climbed on, "that was a gift from the royal family . . ." the rest of us stepped onto the raft, and Aloma handed Momiji a small bag. "Momiji my child, I'm sure you know what this bag holds in it and just when to open it, am I correct?"

"Yes I do, you can trust me to use it wisely."

As several caprinites shoved our raft out to sea Luros started ramming his old horns into a large gong by the water. "That looks painful." Flapjack muttered as the wind began filling our sails.

"It is Flapjack, it is." Momiji replied, "By the way, Aloma also says that when we meet the eight-armed demon, we must lie to him."

"Eight armed demon?" I muttered before we each dissolved into our own actions on the raft.

Four days passed until we sailed beyond the mist and we were only three days from Rumsong. Something didn't feel right. I found poison in my food every day for the past four, but I expected that. I brought a spare ration just for myself so he'd stop doing that. Plus I've taken to painting fake eyes on my eyelids so I can sleep soundly. Haven't gone crazy yet. "Momiji, how much longer will it be till we get to Rumsong?" Oh god, not this again.

"Three more days."

"How old will I get?"

"Mid-70's, if you eat your greens."

"Am I going to become a good adven-"

"Yes, soon, Bubbie misses you, when you're 25, brown, she has a tsundre personality!" I barked before I could stop myself.

"Kipp, are you psychic too?"

"No Flapjack," Momiji sighed, "You've asked the same questions ten times a day for four days out of boredom. He probably memorized the order in which you said them." Something really didn't feel right. Tonks was sharpening his hatchets behind me, turned away from me, but since Momiji was facing him I didn't think to check on him. "I'm sorry guys. "Flapjack muttered, leaning over the edge of the raft and splashing the water, "I'm just really bored."

Maybe I could teach you about axe throwing." Tonks finally said, back still turned. Something was _REALLY_ wrong. "We don't have a target out here." I pointed out as something caught my leg and dragged me up, while Tonks continued, "Nonsense, we've got one right _**here.**_" Suddenly I caught sight of what was holding me: The Eight-armed demon, or apparently "Eight-armed Willie!" According to Flapjack. Tonks had just thrown a hatchet at its head. Weird, I thought this whole time it was gonna be Tonks trying to kill me again


End file.
